ABERFOYLE – Puslinch council heard from plenty of delegations on Sept. 25 as it contemplates a bylaw to regulate noise at gun clubs in the township.
At the moment, the Sportsmens Club Galt, located on Gore Road, is the only gun club/shooting range in the township.
The club executive objected to some of the restrictions in the proposed bylaw, including hours of operation and steep fines for infractions.
And while some neighbours of the club said they have no problem with noise, others say noise from the club impairs their ability to enjoy their own property.
Club president Matt Moser and board member Dale Harrison told council that the club has a storied past in Puslinch dating back to the 1950s, with some 1,600 members, 250 acres, and indoor and outdoor shooting ranges for pistols, rifles, archery, clay target and skeet shooting.
The club is inspected regularly by the chief firearms inspector and there has never been a serious injury on site, officials say.
The club also raises funds for charities and operates a few on its premises.
It has also hosted international competitions and boasts some competitive shooters among its members, the men said.
Moser said the club’s major concern is the premise of the bylaw, which takes a licensing approach as opposed to enacting a noise bylaw.
“Licensing is more complex and costly,” he said. A noise bylaw is more straightforward.
“Licensing can change without the involvement of council or the public,” he added. He said the club hopes to sit down with staff and council to hash out some of the details, including:
- proposed hours of operation;
- restricting operations on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day; and
- mitigation measures that are very costly and could render the club “unviable.”
The bylaw, which is still just a draft, names 70 decibels as the upper limit for sound levels.
The club is concerned that on some days, if the wind was strong from one direction and leaves were off the trees, it’s possible they could exceed 70 decibels.
Fines listed in the bylaw range between $500 to $50,000 for a first offence and $500 to $100,000 for a second offence.
“The penalties are quite severe,” Harrison said. “Those fines could sink the club in a hurry. They seem pretty heavy-handed for a not-for-profit.”
Councillor John Sepulis pointed out Wellington County recently established a noise bylaw that all member municipalities were required to adopt.
“There’s nothing in that bylaw about shooting,” Sepulis said.
“That’s why we took this step (a licensing approach). This is the only avenue we have.”
In terms of noise mitigation, the club has been testing with noise curtains and they have “decent” impact, Moser and Harrison said, although they don’t know the cost yet.
They felt they could create noise berms within the two-year window provided in the bylaw.
Galt Sportsmens Club image
“It is not our intention to make the club go away,” Sepulis said. “Our intention is to work with residents and the club.”
Philip and Pamela O’Dell live next door to the gun club and share 400 metres of boundary.
They told council the club is a good neighbour, and while they can hear shooting in the distance, it’s not a bother to them.
They said the club is proactive in letting neighbours know about upcoming competitions.
And while the club offered a complimentary family membership, Philip O’Dell declined, preferring to pay the full membership fee because they believe in the good the club does.
Olinda DaSilva, who lives near the gun club on Gore Road, had the opposite story to tell.
While she acknowledged an improvement in communication from the club since a new board was elected, the noise is a problem for her.
She said the club operates 362 days a year from 9am until dusk and is only closed on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Christmas Day.
“Every weekend there is a barrage of gunshots from 9 to 5. It impacts family life. I can’t enjoy my property until after 5pm,” said DaSilva.
Mayor James Seeley acknowledged the impact the club was having on her.
“We might not hit every request you’re having but we will do our best to find a happy medium,” he said.
Peter VanDelden, who said he is an expert on noise and vibration, delegated to council just to shed light on the recently updated provincial noise guideline, NPC 300, which limits noise to a range of 40 to 55 decibels, depending on time of day and whether a location is urban, rural or combined.
“Whether this would hold up in court is legal guidance I can’t provide,” he said.
“Forty to 50 decibels, I don’t think the club could attain that,” said Seeley.
After delegations, council discussed the proposed bylaw. Interim CAO Courtenay Hoytfox said the section about penalties only applies after conviction in court. Fines and other penalties will be added to the bylaw as they are determined, she said.
“We generally use Part 1 summons which is fines, but usually not for a first offence. We take an education approach,” she said.
Hoytfox noted NCP 300 is only a guideline and the township is able to set decibel levels in its bylaw.
In terms of feedback on the proposed bylaw, councillor Russel Hurst suggested purchasing a noise meter so bylaw officers can measure noise while responding to a complaint. He suggested having a baseline measure as the bylaw is implemented to provide context for complaints.
Many councillors also had questions about bylaw enforcement and the cost of noise monitoring.
Staff will work with the Galt Sportsmens Club, explore similar bylaws in neighbouring municipalities, and prepare a second draft of the bylaw for the Nov. 20 meeting.
